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Scale of constraints |
Restoration challenge |
Policy recommendations |
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Globe
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Rapidly rising sea level, climate extremes, nitrogen mobility
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Preparedness: predict future conditions; aim
high but do not expect to recreate historical levels of biodiversity and
services; envision alternative scenarios; field tests will indicate that some
targets are unachievable
|
Watershed
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Excess water, eutrophication
|
Create strategic watershed plans that
identify watershed needs and then prioritize restoration of potentially
restorable sites and expected levels of each service; track impacts in
downstream wetlands; conserve or restore diversity upstream; compare outflowing
water from watersheds ± substantial restoration to assess effects of
restoration
|
Site
|
Poor substrate, invaders
|
Shift target from restoration of
historical states to adaptive restoration; aim high but use
field experiments to rule out targets that cannot be achieved
|
Biota
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Fewer species and smaller gene
pools
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Retain and restore habitat for declining
species where it occurred historically, where it might be achievable, near
remnant populations, and in sites near one another; establish matrix dominants
first, then test a site’s ability to support diverse species and
genotypes
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Assessment needs
|
Insufficient monitoring
|
Plan for clear and objective assessments; assess sites at intervals using objective indicators for abiotic and biotic
components and services; set standards a priori; use data to judge
progress at intervals, over long time periods
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